Suspects caught after bank robbery and chase | News

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GRAND RAPIDS (WZZM) - A man and a woman are being held in the Kent County Jail, awaiting arraignment, after authorities say they robbed a bank in Comstock Park, then led police on a bizarre chase through Kent County.

Late Wednesday morning, police say the man and the woman held up the Comerica Bank on 4 Mile Road, near Alpine Avenue. The suspects then sped off driving a Budget Rental truck.

The police chase headed south on Alpine, eventually getting onto I-196 westbound and then back eastbound on I-196, before heading into Wyoming and ending in Grand Rapids.

The chase ended in the area of Grandville Ave. and Hall Street in Grand Rapids, and the two suspects were taken into custody. Nearby Ceasar Chavez Elementary School was put on lockdown as a precaution.

The school sent a letter about the incident to parents:

Dear Cesar E. Chavez Elementary Parent/Guardian(s):

I am writing to inform you about an incident that occurred on the school property this morning that resulted in us placing the school in a temporary Code Red lock down for the safety of students, staff, and visitors.

As you may have seen in the media, there was a significant police presence in the neighborhood of Cesar E. Chavez Elementary following an extensive police pursuit of suspected bank robbers that ended when the suspects turned onto school property and stopped.

This occurred while students were on recess and many students witnessed this event unfold. No students or staff members were injured. Students and staff were immediately pulled inside, the school placed into a Code Red lock down, and our GRPS security team called to the school. The suspects were apprehended by the Grand Rapids Police Department (GRPD) and taken into custody. Shortly thereafter, our public safety team and the GRPD authorized us to end the Code Red lock down.

Executive Director of GRPS Public Safety Larry Johnson and members of his team spent much of the afternoon visiting classrooms to talk with students and staff about what occurred and what we can all learn from this experience.

While the students, staff and parents were not in any immediate danger, we take safety very seriously and erred on the side of caution by administering our lock down procedures. As a parent/guardian, I want to make sure you were informed of the situation and to assure you that the precautionary measures we took today are designed to ensure your student - and all students - are always safe and secure.

If you have any questions about this matter, feel free to call me. Thank you.